Heating system



Sept. 23, 1924. 1,509,810

- J. F. M INDOE HEATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 4, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l I NVE N TOR:

. J.'F. M lNDOE HEATING SYSTEM 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4,

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

J'OHN F. MAoINDbE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFPATENT OFFICE.

TO I. IRVING REICHNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEATING SYSTEM.

Application filed August 4,1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MACINDO-E, a citizen of'the United States,residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new ahd useful Improvements in Heating Systems,whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to hot water heating systems for buildings, andthe principal object of the invention is to permit of a more economicaloperation of the system during Weather conditions or when themaintenance of the entire system in full operation is undesirable orwould resultn an unnecessary wasteof fuel. This ob ect is accomplishedaccording to the present invention by subdividing an ordinary hot watercirculating system into a plurality of local paths of c1rcu diator andan auxiliary'water heating means operable independent of the primarywater heater or boiler so that one or more radiators may be heatedwithout the necessity of operating the entire system or maintaining afire under the primary boiler.

Another objecto'f the invention is to provide improvements in alocalized hot water circulating system of the character above set forth,wherein each radiator in a local path of circulation may be connectedunder controllable conditions to a constai: i. pressure source of watersupply, so that the system may be filled to capacity automatically andwithout attention. y

A ,still further object of the invention is to provide improvements in alocalized hot water circulating system which includes an overflow tankfor maintaining the system in filled condition, and an automaticallyoper-.

able means for controlling pressure generated within a shuntedand-heated radiator to permit a rise of pressure Within the radiator toovercome the head in the expansion tank and to automatically permit therelease of excessive pressure. y

In addition to the foregoing this invention comprehends improvements inthe details of construction and arrangement of the correlated parts to.be hereinafter set forth ation, each local path including a ra- Serial110,579,558.

,of a preferred form of water heater employed in a local path ofcirculation and forming part of the present invention.

Figure 111- is a View in horizontal section taken on the line III-III ofFig. II.

Figure IV is a view in longitudinal sectionof a controlling device, oneof which is embodied in each local path of circulation and forconvenience enclosing the elements in a single casing; and

Figure V is a detailed view in elevation, with parts in section showinga controlling device in which the parts are formed for convenience ofstandard fittings.

With reference to Figure I of the drawings, A, B, and C designaterespectively three heating branches of a continuous hotwater heatingsystem in which the hot water supply pipe is indicated at 10 and thereturn pipe at 11.. The radiators within the several heating branchesare indicated at 12, 13, and 14. The inlet of each radiator is connectedby means of a riser 15 to vthe supply pipe 10, while the dischargeopenings .of the several radiators are connected by means of drop lines16 to the return pipe 11 of the system. Each riser is controlled at apoint adjacent the radiator by means of a valve 17 in the usual manner.Each riser 15 is tapped at an intermediate point for connection to alocal riser 18, the other end of which is in communication with thedelivery end of a water heater or auxiliary boiler as distinguished fromthe primary boiler of the system, the auxiliary boiler being indicatedgenerally at 19 an shown in detail in Figures II and III, wherein 20indicates a cylindrical casing mounted upon a suitable base 21 andtopped at its upper end by means of a dome shaped cover 22. Mountedwithin the casing in vertical spaced relation is a pair of circularheaders 23 and 24, connected by means of a series of vertical watertubes 25. A pair of annular baffle plates 26 are mounted in spacedrelation within the casing to enclose the series of tubes 25, and a diskbafile plate 27 is mounted within the series of tubes 25 at a pointintermediate the annular baflle plates 26, so as to provide anundulatory path for gases progressing vertically from a burner 28located at the bottom of thecasing, the gases passing around the lowerheader 24 and around the upper header 23, after passing through andbetween the aforesaid tubes and battle plates. The riser 18 is connectedto a lateral opening of the header 23, while a local drop line 29 isconnected to a lateral intake port of the lower header 24 and to thedrop line 16 of its local heating branch. A control valve 30 isinterposed in each drop line 16 at a pointbetween the connection thereofwith the drop pipe 11 and its associated local return line 29. In asimilar manner a valve 31 is interposed in each riser 15 at a pointbetween its connection to the supply pipe 10 and the local riser 18. Inaccordance with usual practice continuous hot water circulating systemsare provided with an expansion tank 32 located at a maximum height andconnected by means of a stand pipe 33 with the main return pipell of thesystem. The present invention contemplates the connection of each localheating branch with the stand pipe 33,

so as to continually flood each radiator automatically. This is effectedby means of a pipe 34 which communicates with each and every one of thedrop lines 16 of the system.

liiterposed in each drop line connection with the said pipe 34 is acontrolling device indicated generally at 35, and shown in detail byFigure IV of the drawings, wherein 36 indicates a casing having inletand outlet openings, at each end and subdivided by means of a transversepartition 37. The partition 37 is perforated to provide two valveopenings 38 and 39, the latter being controlled by means of an ordinaryspring pressed check valve 40, which opens toward the radiator or in thedirection of flow of water from the expansion tank 32 to the radiator.The other opening 38 is controlled by means of a valve 41, having a pairof oppositely extending valve stems 42 and 43, the former 42 operatingwithin a guide 44, extending from the wall of the casing 36, and thelatter 43, sliding within the bore of a threaded adjusting member 45,adjustably I held within the removable end cover of the casing 36 andhaving a dished collar formed therewith as indicated at 46. A coilspring radiator and transmitted through the drop line 16 thereof and thepipe 34 leading to the controlling device. The adjusting member=45 isconveniently actuated from without the casing 36 and may be locked inadjusted position by means of a jam nut 48, beneath which a washer isinterposed to insure a fluid tight joint.

system, so that certain selected rooms of a.

building which are preferably occupied to the exclusion of other roomsmay be heated without the necessity of running the primary boiler. Thelocal operation of any one of the radiators may be thoroughly understoodby referring to one of the branches, for instance, A, wherein the firststep consists in adjusting the valves 30 and 31 of that particularbranch to closed position and then lighting the burner 28 within theauxiliary boiler or heater 19 of the said branch. The headers 23 and 2Aand connecting tubes 25, being in the path of circulation, the watercontained therein is heated and by convection ascends through the riser15, traverses the radiator and returns through the associated drop line16 and local drop line 29 to the lower header 24 thus heating theradiator in the branch A, to the exclusion of the other radiators in thebranches B and C in a manner entirely independent of the operation ofthe primary boiler. The

degree of heat furnished may be adusted by controlling the flow ofheating medium to the burner 19, which may be a liquid fuel or gas; or,the heat furnished may be of any other convenient character.

Thus, among the several advantages derived from the use of thisinvention is that occurring during mild weather when the primary boilermay be closed down or shut 011' any one or more of the radiatorsindividually heated by operating their corresponding local heaters orauxiliary boilers, thus ensuring economy in the use of fuel incident tothe greater convenience in regulation of a gas heater as compared to acoal heater, such as a furnace or boiler. By locating the gas heaters orauxiliary boilers below the floors or in the basement of the building,the products of combustion of the gas burner may be conducted to theopen air without contaminating the atmosphere of a living room, and inthis respect the present invention is differentiated from others in theart designed to heat a radiator locally by means of a burner embodiedwithin the radiator itself and the operatioa of which would necessarilywithdraw oxygen from the air of the living room and exchange the samefor obnoxious gases.

As intimated above the present invention contemplates among its-severalfeatures the inclusion of means for automaticallyfilling each radiatorwithin a local path of circulation, and'this is brought about byconnecting each radiator in the heating branches A, B and C, to thestand pipe .33 of the ex pansion tank 32 in the manner described, inwhich connection the controlling. device 35 is interposed. Should thewater within the radiator of the branch A, for instance, be partiallyexhausted by evaporation, the loss will be automatically replaced byopening of the check valve 40 against the pressure of water in theexpansion tank 32, when the valve controlled air vent with which theradiator is ordinarily supplied is opened and retained in open positionuntil water issues therefrom. During the local operation of any radiatorthe pressure therein, due, either to expansion of trapped air within theupper portion of the radiator, or to expansion of steam, may be retainedtherein by one or both of two means, namely: by the head of the Water inthe pipe 33, or-the force of the spring 47, which acts to re- Thetainthe valve 41 in closed position. head of the water in the stand pipe 33will of course be added to the tension of the spring 47 and hence thetension of the lat ter should be adjusted by manipulation of the'member45, so as to prevent the generation of pressure within the radiatorbeyond the limit of safety for which its construction is designed. Bythus permitting the creation of pressure within the radiator due togeneration of steam a higher temperaturemay be obtained than isordinarily possible in the circulation of water heatedto a temv whereinthe pipe 34' is formed of two sections out of alignment, one of which isconnected to a section of pipe 49, having a right angle branch 50, whichis connected to a casing 51, having a valve controlled aperture 52entering a pipe section 53, which may be parallel to the pipe section49. The pipe section 53 is provided with a right angle branch 54, havinga T-oonnection with the pipe sections 34 and 49 at a point betweentheirpoint of connection, and interposed in the bend 54 is a check valve 55,hav-- ing a function corresponding to that of the valve 40 of thecontrolling device shown in Figure IV. The other section of the pipe'IV. The operation of this modified form of controlling device is thesame as that performed b the first mentioned form, and will be -0 viousupon examination of the drawings.

While I have disclosed a specific form of auxiliary boiler which I deemto be of a preferred and most eflicient construction the systemdisclosed nevertheless permits the incorporation therein of any othertype of'boiler or water heater found suitable for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a continuous hot water circulating system including supply andreturn pipes, a heating branch containing a radiator with a riser and adrop line respectively connecting said radiator to the supply and returnpipes of the system, a conduit for shunting the radiator connected intothe riser and into the drop line, valves interposed in said riser anddrop line permitting the radiator to be shunted through the con; duit, aheater interposed in said conduit for heating the water to set up alocal path of circulation which includes'the radiator and conduit, andmeans permitting the accumulation of pressure in the radiator to apredetermined point and escape therefrom of any excess pressure into thesystem.

2. In a continuous'hot water circulating system including supply andreturn pipes, a heating branch containing a radiator with a riser and adrop line respectively connecting said radiator to the supply and returnpipes of the system, a conduit interposed between the riser and dropline and in communication therewith, a water heater comprising a boilerhaving its inlet and outlet openings connected in the conduit to form acontinuation of the latter,- a burner for heatingthe boiler whereby thewater may be heated to set up a local path-of circulation including theradiator, conduit and boiler, and means permitting the accumulation ofpressure in the radiator and the escape therefrom of any excess pressureinto the system.

3. In a continuous hot water circulating system including a heatingbranch having a radiator'therein, a shunt in said branch local path ofcirculation to set up motion therein, an expansion tank for flooding thesystem, a connection between sald expansion tank and the heating branch,means in said connection permitting the radiator to fill automaticallyto replace accumulated air, and means in said connection permitting theaccumulation of pressure in the radiator to a point overcoming the headin the expansion tank and thereafter to permit the release of pressurefrom the radiator.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name atPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, thls first day of August, 1922.

JOHN F. MAUINDOE.

Witnesses:

JAMESH. BELL, CEILA M. ROGERS.

